


The Name

by PurplMuffinXTRM



Series: Changing Tides [5]
Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M, Nicknames, Sleepiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 16:07:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15319176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PurplMuffinXTRM/pseuds/PurplMuffinXTRM
Summary: Ann, Thatch, and Ace can't sleep. Marco runs into them while on patrol. One thing leads to another and Ann has to explain how she got the nickname 'Ruth.'





	The Name

Ann and Thatch sit on the guardrail of the Moby Dick. Thatch leans back on his hands watching as Ann ties bait to a hook and casts the fishing line into the sea. She holds onto the rod and glances up at the dark sky full of glitter. 

“You don’t have to do this you know.”

“I know.” Thatch’s voice is light. “But, what happens if you fall overboard,” he teases.

“I’m not going to fall in,” Ann laughs. She sighs and leans into the man next to her. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Everything.”

“No thanks needed.” Thatch presses a kiss into the younger’s forehead.

The two remain quiet as Thatch watches Ann fish. A crescent moon rises higher in the glittery sky. Ace joins them on deck. 

“What are you two still doing up?” He asks as he leans against the rail of the ship.

“Fishing,” Ann smirks.

“Watching her fish.” Thatch grins.

“No shit. I meant why are you still up?” Ace rolls his eyes.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“Wow, Ruth!”

“She has a point,” Thatch laughs.

“Ouch.” Ace holds a hand over his heart dramatically.

“What’s going on?” The first division commander walks up to them.

“Marco! Thatch and Ruth are being mean to me!” Ace whines.

“Was not!” Ann laughs. “It was a legitimate statement.”

“Alright, alright. Keep it down,” Marco urges. “People are trying to sleep.”

“You’re not,” Thatch points out twisting around to face his friend and brother.

“I’m on guard duty. What’s your excuse?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Same.” Ace sits on the guardrail with his back to the sea.

“Ann?” Marco looks to his young crewmate.

“Doesn’t matter,” Ann says a little too quickly.

“Calm down, Ann. It’s just a question.” Ace studies his sister’s face.

“Either way, it doesn’t matter. I’m awake, and I’m fishing. The why doesn’t concern anyone but me.” Ann stands on the guardrail. She tugs hard on the fishing rod. A huge fish jumps out of the water. Ann gives the rod another sharp tug, and the fish wriggles in the air as it flies above the ship. “Discus.” A large white disk forms under her free hand, and she throws it. The disk cuts through the fish lobbing its head off. Ann jumps up catching both the head and the body before landing softly on the deck.

“Nice one, Ruth.” Ace smiles.

“Great catch,” Thatch agrees. “We can add it to the lunch menu.”

“Really!” Ann’s eyes light up as she smiles, bouncing lightly on her bare heels. “Awesome!”

Marco chuckles. “Can’t wait to try it.”

“Thanks.” Ann stores the fish in the kitchen and rejoins her friends. She sits on the guardrail between Ace and Thatch. Thatch swings his legs around, so he’s facing the deck like the twins. Marco remains standing but leans back on the wall behind him with his arms crossed.

“Hey, Ace?” Thatch leans forward to get a better look at the other boy. “Why do you call Ann, Ruth?”

Ann snorts as Ace grins. “It’s a nickname for a nickname.”

“What does that even mean?”

Ann laughs. “Ace used to call me ‘Ruthless,’” she explains. “Luffy shortened it to ‘Ruth.’” 

“Why Ruthless?” Marco questions.

“Have you met my sister?” Ace gestures to Ann. Ann grins wickedly.

Marco and Thatch nod seriously. “Point taken,” Thatch remarks. “But still, why Ruthless?”

Ace sighs. “As a kid, I used to go around asking people what they’d think of Gold Roger having a kid. Most of them didn’t like the idea. In fact, I’m pretty sure the only positive responses I’ve gotten came from you guys, Pops, Sabo, and Luffy.” Ace tilts his head back watching the crescent moon travel across the sky. “Most people would unknowingly call me a monster and say I deserved to die or that I shouldn’t have been born. Or we actually,” Ace amends glancing at Ann who is glaring at the wood paneling of the deck, nails digging into the rail. “Anyway, I would get upset, and Ann would start punching people. I'd join in until we had to run from authorities, but it was always Ann who punched first.”

“Bunch of assholes,” Ann mutters. “Shoulda punched 'em harder.”

“So, I started calling her Ruthless. Our other brother did it because he was afraid of her.”

Ann laughs softly at that and relaxes a bit. She leans into Thatch, and the older pirate wraps an arm around her allowing the younger to rest her head on his muscled chest. “Damn right.”

“And you weren't?” Marco smirks. 

“Yes and no. I wasn't scared of her at first. I knew that she was scary strong and she could kick my ass if she really wanted to. Probably still can.”

“Yup.” Ann grins lazily, eyes half-lidded.

The other three laugh. “I wasn’t scared of her until Luffy came around. That's when we realized just how terrifying she could be. Ann was the first one to warm up to Luffy. I would always try to ditch him in the forest. Which often led to him getting lost or injured. And on one occasion got him kidnapped and tortured by the local pirates. Ann usually chewed us out for getting Luffy in trouble, but on that last one, she full on beat our asses into the ground. Her protective streak runs both for and against family.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Marco eyes Ann with a soft smile. 

Thatch chuckles gazing down at Ann as the girl snuggles closer to the older man. “What about Luffy? Did he find Ann scary?”

Both Ann and Ace snort. “Luffy doesn't think anything is scary. He wouldn't know scary even if it was staring him in the face.”

“Yeah,” Ace agrees. “Luffy wasn't scared of Ann. He knew she was strong, and she could kick his ass, but he thought it was cool. Then he went and decided Ruth was a better nickname than Ruthless.”

“Sounds like you two had quite the childhood.”

“You don’ even know the ha’f o’ it,” Ann mumbles. 

“I'm sure we don't,” Marco chuckles. 

“Just go to sleep, Ann.” Thatch kisses her forehead. 

“Why were you even up if you're just going to pass out?” Ace pokes his sister's cheek. 

“Had nigh’mare,” is the mumbled response. 

“What about?”

“Bluejam.”

Ace stiffens. Thatch catches Ann as her body becomes dead weight on the guardrail. 

“Blue jam?” Marco frowns. “Why would blue food give her a nightmare?”

“It's not a food. It's a person,” Ace seethes. “Bluejam is a pirate we had to deal with a long time ago.”


End file.
